The Last Laugh (a McRoll in the REAL World story)
by sammy1026
Summary: The fallout from Danny's gift to Angie continues.


_Mari & Ilna-you guys are the absolute best! Thank you for everything!_

_REAL Worlders-you guys are awesome. Thanks for all the support and encouragement._

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**The Last Laugh (1/1)**

"Wow, it's loud in here tonight." Kono winced as her eyes swept the bar area of Sidestreet. The team, along with Catherine and Gabby, had met after work for dinner and to unwind a little after a long week. Angie was spending the evening at BINGO with Grandma Ang. Though she obviously didn't fully understand the game, she loved sitting at the table next to her beloved great grandmother and placing chips all over the card in front of her. The fact that the other ladies at the table had taken to keeping snack bags full of cookies in their purse to share with the always happy toddler certainly didn't hurt.

"It's quiet compared to our house for the last few days." Steve mock glared at Danny who smirked in return.

"Angie still loving her new horn?" Gabby asked, unable to hold in a chuckle.

"That's an understatement." Catherine sighed. "She beeps hello to everything, beeps goodbye to everything, beeps to the characters in her books, beeps to her blocks … need I go on?"

"She's even gotten Cammie used to the sound," Steve added. "Poor dog spent the first 24 hours hiding upstairs, but now she just accepts the noise."

"At least we've been able to make it clear that she should never beep right in Cammie's ears." Catherine took another sip of her beer. "That's something I guess."

Kono signaled the waitress that they were ready for another round. "I thought you were going to get her an attachment to put it on her bike."

"Oh yes, Uncle Danny bought her one of those." It was Catherine's turn to glare. "Except it took Angie about 10 minutes to figure out how to slip the horn out of the bracket when she's done riding so she can carry it around with her."

Danny's smirk grew even larger. "She's clearly brilliant."

"Don't even try to butter me up," Steve growled.

"Have you tried hiding the horn until she forgets about it?" Chin asked. "Leilani's niece was absolutely obsessed with this little stuffed cow that went moo when you squeezed it. Her sister finally hid it in the back of the closet and after a couple of days Keila forgot about it."

Catherine snorted. "We should be so lucky."

"We've tried hiding it, but she is relentless," Steve explained. "I know she's only two, but I swear it's almost like she performs a grid search until she finds it. She starts at one end of the room and works methodically to the other."

Catherine nodded. "He's not exaggerating. She really does. I watched her search every one of the lower cabinets yesterday. I should have stopped her because she was making a mess but … well to be honest I was so impressed with how thoroughly she was searching I just let her go. I only stepped in when she tried to climb up on the counter to search the higher cupboards."

Danny snorted. "She is her parents' daughter."

"I understand that on any given day Steve does lots of things that irritate you." Catherine patted her husband's knee under the table. "But that horn affects me as much as it affects him. What did I do to deserve that kind of torture?"

"Think about it," Danny said as he reached for another wing.

Catherine looked at Gabby who shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, I don't have any idea why he did it. He's been very secretive about his motive."

"I hardly even saw you on Wednesday," Steve said. "I had a budget meeting in the morning and by the time I got back you were off talking to that seniors' group about safety …" His words trailed off as he looked at his best friend. "Does this have something to do with me asking you to take my place at that talk? What could possibly have been wrong with that group?"

The smile that tugged at the corners of Steve's mouth didn't go unnoticed by the others at the table.

"You mean the group run by your friend, the Boston transplant?" Danny asked. "Who has brainwashed that group of wonderful senior citizens into being rabid New England Patriots fans. And who coached them to do a JETS SUCK chant when I arrived?"

Steve burst out laughing.

Catherine looked at him. "What did you do?"

"It was just a little harmless fun." He grinned. "Frank is a huge Patriots fan," he explained to the others at the table. "When I knew Danny would be filling in for me, I mentioned how much he loved the Jets and, being as they're divisional rivals, Frank just kind of took it from there."

"After more bad seasons in a row than I care to count we finally made a few good trades, signed some talented free agents, and had a good draft. We actually have a chance to be good this year and you have to ruin it," Danny said accusingly.

Steve pfftted. "How did I ruin it? It's not like I kneecapped your quarterback."

"I was really enjoying all the good football vibes I was feeling and now they're completely destroyed." Danny crossed his arms over his chest.

The others at the table watched the back and forth with amused expressions.

"You're being too sensitive," Steve said.

Danny snorted. "Says the man who once bubble wrapped everything in my office because I used the word soldier as opposed to sailor."

"It was in your toast at our wedding," Steve reminded him.

"Still … in all the years I've known you, I've never really been able to get you back. You're like Teflon when it comes to revenge. But now that my adorable goddaughter and niece is on the scene it's a whole different ballgame."

"You're willing to use Angie to get back at me?" Steve asked with faux incredulity.

"Absolutely." Danny beamed. "She got a toy she loves, and I get the pleasure of knowing it drives you crazy. Win/win."

"Did you even consider the fact that I'd be caught in the crossfire?" Catherine asked.

Danny arched an eyebrow. "Do you remember who arranged the talk to the seniors to begin with?"

Catherine paused for a beat. "I did."

"That's right," Danny replied. "You did. And you knew all about Frank's obsession with the Patriots. In fact, he told me he harasses you about the Cowboys every chance he gets."

"He does," Catherine admitted.

"So you should have known what would happen when I got there," Danny insisted stubbornly.

"I couldn't possibly have known," Catherine said defensively. "I arranged for Steve to give the talk, not you."

Danny was unmoved by her argument. "You should have anticipated that he would find a way to get out of it and send me instead."

Catherine opened her mouth to speak then closed it. Truth is Danny was right. She should have seen this coming. "I guess you have a point."

"Darn right I do," Danny smiled triumphantly as he leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head. "Victory is sweet and in this case it comes with its own sound effect. Beep beep."

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Danny parked his car on the street in front of his house. Gabby was meeting some people at a friend's bachelorette party and would be home later. He was still getting used to coming home and finding his driveway full of cars. He loved the fact that Grace's friends all felt comfortable gathering at their house, he just had trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that all the pigtailed little girls who had once looked up at him with toothy grins saying thank you for a popsicle were now driving themselves around the island.

As he made his way towards the front door, he could hear the pulsating bass line of the music the girls were playing. He was used to having to ask them to turn down the volume from time to time but he couldn't ever remember them playing it this loud. Plus, there was something about the notes meeting his ears that sounded a bit unusual.

As he opened the front door, he heard the sound of loud music mixed with the unmistakable sound of teenage girl's squeals. He winced slightly as he made his way down the hall towards Grace's room. He looked through the open door and saw Grace holding a microphone, singing loudly, while Linda, Casey and several of Grace's friends from cheerleading stood behind her singing back-up.

He watched for a few seconds until Grace noticed his presence. "What's going on in here?" he asked.

"Isn't it great?" Grace was close to exploding with excitement. "Uncle Steve and Auntie Catherine bought me a karaoke machine to celebrate the start of my last year of high school."

"They did, did they?" Danny's hands clenched.

"And it has a cool feature where you can download music directly into it then sing along with your favorite artists." The girls all squealed in unison as Grace continued. "We downloaded Taylor Swift's new CD and we're taking turns singing lead vocals."

Danny forced a smile. "That sounds fun."

"We were gonna go out and get pizza and maybe go to a movie," Grace said, "but this is so fun we decided to get the pizza delivered and stay here all night. Is that ok?"

"Of course it is." Danny smiled through gritted teeth. "You girls have fun. I'll be in the living room."

As he walked down the hall towards the kitchen another song started, accompanied by a new wave of squeals.

"They can't ever let me win," he muttered to himself just as his phone chimed with the sound of an incoming text.

He glanced at the screen.

The message was from Steve and simply read _'Beep Beep'_.

"I wonder how they're gonna like it when I buy Angie the complete set of Barney videos," Danny grumbled as he entered the kitchen. "We'll see who's laughing then."

**THE END**

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